Collapsible duck-blind.



H. 0. JANUARY.

COLLAPSIBLE DUCK BLIND.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.5,1911.

Patented July 9, 1912.

uoLummvL loanAm-l c TINTTE STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

HARRY C. JANUARY, 01? ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Application filed September 5, 1911.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY C. JANUARY, acitizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in CollapsibleDuck-Blinds, of which the following is a full, clear. and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichFigure l is a perspective view of a collapsible duck blind frame of myimproved construction. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of thefolding uprights made use of in my improved collapsible duck blind. Fig.3 is a perspective view of the hinge between the two parts of one of thefolding rings forming part of my improved blind. Fig. 4: is aperspective view of a detachablejoint or connection between the ends ofthe folding rings used in connection with my improved blind. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of a portion of the lower ring of the blind and showingone of the anchor devices thereon.

My invention relates to a folding or collapsible skeleton frameparticularly adapted for use in the formation of a blind for hunters,while engaged in shooting wild fowl and particularly that varietyinhabiting lakes, streams and marshes.

In shooting wild fowl such as ducks, geese and the like, hunters veryfrequently place decoys in the water and shoot at the wild fowl whichmay be attracted by said decoys, from a blind or screen erected on thebank near the decoys, and it is the purpose of my invention to provide asimple, inexpensive frame-work on which shrubbery, branches of trees,corn stalks or the like may be located to form a blind for the hunter,and which frame is light in weight and can be readily collapsed andfolded so as to occupy comparatively little space when packed fortransportation or storage.

To the above purposes my invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully describedand claimed.

Asshown in the accompanying drawings I the collapsible frame comprises apair of A designates the lower ring and Bthe up Specification of LettersPatent.

I COLLAPSIBLE DUCK-BLIND. i "1 Patented July 9,1912.

Serial No. 647,797.

per ring and each of said rings is composed of a pair of heavy wires orsmall metal rods 1, the same being spaced a suitable distance apart inorder that shrubbery, corn stalks, weeds and the like may be placedbetween said wires or rods when the blind is set up for use. The wiresor rods forming each ring are united at suitable distance apart by shorttie wires 2 the same being preferably arranged in pairs. Each ring ismade in mating parts or halves and mounted on the wires or rods on oneend of the meeting parts, are plates 3 the outer ends of which areunited by a pivot pin 4 thus forming a hinge between the two parts. Theends of the wires on the opposite side of the two parts are providedwith plates 5 in one of each is formed a keyhole opening 6 adapted toreceive a headed pin or rivet 7 carried by the opposite plate and thus adetachable joint or connection is formed for each ring, directlyopposite the point where the same is hinged.

The construction just described permits the rings at the upper and lowerends of the structure to be separated on one side, and the halves of therings swung away from one another so as to form a pair of semicircularframes which, when properly covered with shrubbery or the like, willserve as a blind for two persons.

8 designates a series of short rods the lower ends of which are pointedand the upper ends of which are provided with eyes 9 which engage one ofthe wires or rods of the lower ring A and which rods are forced into theground to firmly hold the collapsible frame when the same is set up foruse.

10 designates a series of short rods the upper ends of which areprovided with eyes 11 which engage the wires or rods of the lower ringand the lower ends of these rods 10 are provided with balls or knobs 12.These rods, having the balls or knobs on their lower ends, serve asanchors to hold the collapsible frame in proper position when the deviceis set upon a sand bar or upon marshy or unstable ground.

13 designates a series of upright members preferably formed of thinmetal strips the lower ends of which are provided with loops 14 whichare loosely mounted on one of the wires or rods of the lower ring A andthe upper ends of these upright members are bent at right angles to thelower portions so as to occupy positions at right angles to thecircumference of the lower ring. The upper end of each vertical member13 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 15 and formed on thesides of each member adjacent the lower portion of the slot therein is apair of ears 16. A

series of vertically disposed members 17 corresponding with the members13 have loops 18 formed in their upper ends whereby they are hinged toone of the wires or rods of the upper ring 13 and the lower portions ofthese members 17 are bent at right angles to the upper portions in orderto lie parallel with the upper ends of the members 13. The bent lowerends of the members 17 are provided with headed pins 19 which extendthrough and are constantly in engagement with the slots 15 and when thedevice is set up for use the lower ends of the side members 17 occupypositions between the ears 16 thus supporting the ring B in properposition above the ring A.

Then my improved collapsible frame is set up for use the ring A ispositioned on the ground with the rods 8 and 10 inserted in theground tohold the device in position and the ring B is now elevated until thevarious members 13 and 17 are moved into upright positions after whichthe ring B is lowered to such a degree as to permit the lower ends ofthe members 17 to engage between the ears 16 and thus the frame isopened and set up.

Any available material such as weeds, shrubbery, corn stalks, branchesof trees and the like is now placed upon the upright frame, preferablybetween the pairs of wires or rods 1, and thus a circular screen orblind is completed and ready to be occupied by the hunter. When it isdesired to form a blind which will accommodate two persons, the headedpins 7 are disengaged from the key-hole openings 6 and the halves of therings are swung apart upon the pivot pins 4, and thus a .pair ofsemicircular frames are formed which can be covered with shrubbery orbranches to form a blind having alength approximately twice the diameterof the circular blind.

hen the device is knocked down and collapsed for transportation orstorage the ring B is lifted to withdraw the lower ends of the members17 from between the pairs of ears 16 and when the headed pins havereached the upper ends of the slots 15 the meeting ends of the members13 and 17 may be swung inward thereby permitting the rings A and B to befolded together so as to occupy comparatively little space. The rings Aand B maintain their circular form when folded together and the members13 and 17 occupy horizontal positions between said rings.

A collapsible duck blind of my improved construction is comparativelysimple, is extremely light in weight and can be cheaply i-nanu-factured,can be readily set up for use, and when folded and packed fortransportation or storage occupies comparatively little space.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without departing fromthe spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in theappended claims.

I claim,

1. The herein-described collapsible duck blind comprising a pair of toprings, one arranged immediately inside the other, a pair of bottomrings, one arranged immediately inside the other and folding membersconnecting said pairs of rings.

2. In a duck blind of the class described, an upper part comprising amember-provided with openings adapted to receive and retain screeningmaterial, a bottom part comprising a member provided with openingsadapted to receive and hold screening material, and folding membersconnecting the upper and lower parts.

3. In a collapsible duck blind, an upper member comprising a pair ofrings one inside and immediately adjacent to the other, a bottom membercomprising a pair of rings one inside and immediately adjacent to theother and folding uprights connecting said top and bottom members.

4. The herein described collapsible duck blind comprising an uppermember formed of a pair of concentric rings occupying substantially thesame horizontal plane, a lower member composed of a pair of concentricrings occupying substantially the same horizontal plane, and foldingmembers connecting said upper and lower members.

5. In a duck blind of the class described, a base, anchoring devicescarried thereby, a top part comprising a member having openings adaptedto receive and retain screening material, and folding uprightsconnecting the base and the top part.

6. In a collapsible duck blind, a base member comprising a pair of ringsspaced apart which rings occupy substantially the same horizontal plane,a series of uprights hinged at their lower ends to said base memher, anupper member comprising a pair of rings spaced apart which rings occupysubstantially the same horizontal plane and a series of members hingedto and depending from said upper member, the lower ends of whichdepending members are loosely connected to the upper ends of theuprights.

7 In a collapsible duck blind, a base member and upper member, eachcomprising a pair of rings. with one ring of each pair arranged withinthe other, folding up rights connecting said members and means wherebysaid uprights are locked in alinement when the blind is set up for use.

8. In a duck blind of the class described, a base, anchoring devicescarried thereby, a top part comprising a member having openings adaptedto receive and retain screening material, folding uprights connectingthe base and the top part, and means on the folding uprights for lockingthe same in alinement.

9. The herein described collapsible duck blind comprising a base member,an upper member, each of said members being composed of a pair of ringsone ring of each pair being arranged within the other and foldinguprights uniting the base member and upper member. y

10. The herein-described collapsible duck blind comprising upper andlower members each formed of a pair of rings, one ring of each pairbeing arranged within the other, and each of which members is formed inmating parts, and which parts are hinged together, folding uprightsconnecting the upper and lower members and means for locking the partsof the folding uprights together when the same are in extendedalinement.

11. The herein described collapsible duck blind comprising upper andlower members each formed of a pair of rings, one ring of each pairbeing arranged within and immediately adjacent to the other, each ofwhich members is formed in mating parts, which parts are hingedtogether, and folding uprights connecting the upper and lower members.

12. In a duck blind of the class described a base member, an uppermember comprising a pair of rings one arranged immediately within theother to form a space adapted to receive screening material and foldinguprights connecting the base with said upper member.

18. In a duck blind of the class described, a base member comprising apair of rings, one of which is arranged immediately within the other toform a space adapted to receive screening material, an upper member andfolding uprights connecting the base member with said upper member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 10th day of August, 1911.

HARRY C. JANUARY.

Witnesses:

E. M. HARRINGTON, M. P. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

